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English as a Second Language Podcast www.eslpod.com ESL Podcast 1112 – Doing Impressions GLOSSARY high-pitched – describing a voice with very high not low or deep sounds * Every good

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ESL Podcast 1112 – Doing Impressions

GLOSSARY

high-pitched – describing a voice with very high (not low or deep) sounds

* Every good horror movie needs a few high-pitched screams

to complain – to talk about problems or the negative aspects of things, just to

share one’s displeasure, without being constructive or presenting possible

solutions

* Dimitri told Loren to stop complaining about her job and start looking for a new one that she’ll like better

impression – an attempt to imitate (copy) another person’s actions, words, and

behaviors, usually to entertain others

* Everyone laughed at the comedian’s impression of the Senator

not the boss of me – a phrase used to assert one’s independence and rudely

state that someone does not have authority over oneself

* You’re just my brother—you’re not the boss of me, so stop telling me what to do!

to imitate – to copy; to do what one sees, especially to do what another person

is doing or to say what another person is saying

* Peter is trying to imitate the local Welsh accent, but he doesn’t sound someone from this area

gesture – a movement made with one’s body, especially hands, to emphasize

what one is saying or to express oneself without words

* Doogie is an angry driver who often makes rude gestures toward other cars on the freeway

form of – type of; kind of

* If you were creating a new country, what form of government would you select?

flattery – a lot of praise given to make another person feel good and/or to further

one’s own interests

* Do you really think that flattery will make the teacher give you a better grade?

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tone – a description of the qualities of a voice, including its pitch (high or low),

warmth, and strength

* The job applicant replied to the interviewer’s questions with a firm, assertive tone that conveyed confidence

parody – an imitation of a person or thing that is bigger or broader than it should

be, intended to be funny through exaggeration

* Wow, this book is like a parody of my teenage years!

in good fun – innocent and harmless, without trying to hurt anyone

* It was a mean joke, but he said it in good fun

mean-spirited – unkind and cruel; inconsiderate; trying to hurt another person

* Their boss is a mean-spirited guy who never thanks them for their work and always tries to take the credit

to take (something) the wrong way – to misinterpret something; to understand

something in the wrong way, especially in a way that makes one feel offended or insulted

* Don’t take this the wrong way, but have you ever thought about getting a

professional haircut instead of having your mother cut it?

to laugh at (oneself) – to find the humor in one’s own actions and mistakes; to

be humble enough to not take oneself too seriously when one has done

something silly or wrong

* When Sienna fell off the stage, she had to laugh at herself for her clumsiness

ego – a person’s sense of self-respect, self-confidence, and self-worth; how

important one believes one is

* Losing the game damaged his ego, but he’ll recover

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COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS

1 Which of these verbs is most similar in meaning to “impersonate”?

a) Imitate

b) Flatter

c) Mock

2 What would happen if Justine takes it the wrong way?

a) She might misunderstand Edison’s intention

b) She might fall in love with Justine

c) She might begin to impersonate Edison

WHAT ELSE DOES IT MEAN?

gesture

The word “gesture,” in this podcast, means a movement made with one’s body, especially hands, to emphasize what one is saying or to express oneself without words: “In the U.S., a gesture formed by touching the tip of the thumb and

forefinger to form a circle while holding up the other three fingers is as sign of approval or agreement, not an insult.” The word can also be used as a verb: “The student gestured to a picture to ask, ‘What’s this called in English?’” An “obscene gesture” is a very rude gesture: “Holding up your middle finger is an obscene gesture.” Finally, a “nice gesture” is something nice or kind that one does for another person: “Offering to pay for dinner was a nice gesture, don’t you think?”

tone

In this podcast, the word “tone” is a description of the qualities of a voice,

including its pitch (high or low), warmth, and strength: “She was attracted to the strong, masculine tone of his voice.” The phrase “Don’t take that tone with me,” is used to strongly tell someone to speak more pleasantly and respectfully: “During the argument, he said to his daughter, ‘Don’t take that tone with me, young lady.’” The phrase “to set the tone” means to establish the mood or feel of an event or

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CULTURE NOTE

Elvis Impersonators

American comics impersonate many different “celebrities” (famous people,

especially musicians, actors, singers, and athletes), but Elvis Presley “holds a special place in the hearts of” (is a special case for) many impersonators Elvis was a highly influential musician in the mid-1900s, and many people refer to him

as “the King of Rock and Roll.”

Some impersonators focus “exclusively” (only) on looking like Elvis, “emulating” (copying with respect) his “hairdo” (style) and clothing, typically the white

“pantsuit” (a single piece of clothing, like a shirt and pants that are attached to each other) with an “open collar” (exposing the neck and much of the upper chest) that Elvis is associated with Others focus on sounding like Elvis, copying his voice, music, and way of speaking And “still” (even more; additional) others combine both “elements” (pieces; parts) in their impersonation

There are many competitions for Elvis impersonators, both professionals and

“amateurs” (people who do something as a hobby, but not at the professional level) One of the best-known “contests” (competitions) is the Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest, which began in 2007 “Elvis tribute artists” (Elvis

impersonators) participate in “preliminary rounds” (first-round competition, not yet the finals) at festivals around the world Those who win those competitions can

“advance” (go on) to the “semifinal” (almost final; nearly the last) round during Elvis Week in Memphis, Tennessee The top 10 compete in the final round, and the winner receives the “coveted” (strongly desired) “title” (what someone may call himself or herself) of “Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist,” a $20,000 cash prize, an opportunity to perform with others who are impersonating “music legends”

(musicians who have become very famous), and more

Comprehension Questions Correct Answers: 1 – a; 2 – a

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COMPLETE TRANSCRIPT

Welcome to English as a Second Language Podcast number 1,112 – Doing Impressions

This is English as a Second Language Podcast episode 1,112 I’m your host, Dr Jeff McQuillan, coming to you from the Center for Educational Development in beautiful Los Angeles, California

Go to our website at ESLPod.com or download one of our Special Courses in Business and Daily English You can also take a look at our ESL Podcast Blog And why not like us on Facebook at facebook.com/eslpod

This episode is a dialogue between Edison and Kay about imitating someone else’s voice Let’s get started

[start of dialogue]

Edison: [in a high-pitched woman’s voice] “I’m paying you less and working you harder What are you complaining about?”

Kay: Ha, ha You sound just like Justine! You really have a gift for doing

impressions, but maybe we should shut the door

Edison: Oh I’m not worried about Justine hearing me She’s my boss, but she’s not the boss of me

Kay: What would she say if she saw you imitating the way she walks and the gestures she makes?

Edison: We all know what they say: Imitation is the highest form of flattery

Right?

Kay: I’m not sure Justine would see it that way It sounds more like mockery to

me I think it’s all in the tone

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Kay: “Whatever you say, boss You’re always right, boss.”

Edison: Who was that supposed to be?

Kay: Remember what you said about imitation being be the highest form of

flattery

Edison: That was supposed to be me? Me?!

[end of dialogue]

Edison begins our dialogue speaking in a high-pitched voice.” A “high-pitched (pitched) voice” is a voice that sounds very high We normally associate a higher-pitched voice with a woman and a lower-higher-pitched voice with a man So, “high-” and “low-pitched” are the terms that we use Edison, who is a man, speaks in a high-pitched voice in order to imitate, or sound like, another person at his job He says, “I’m paying you less and working you harder What are you complaining about?” He’s pretending as though he were this other woman by the name of Justine

Edison is pretending that Justine is asking him what he is complaining about “To complain” (complain) is to talk about things you don’t like about something, the problems with something It could be your meal at a restaurant It could be your job It could be just about anything Some people like to complain They like to talk about the negative aspects of things or they like to tell other people about these problems in the hopes that they will be fixed

Kay laughs at Edison’s imitation of Justine’s voice She says, “You have a gift for doing impressions, but maybe we should shut the door.” “To do impressions” (impressions) is to imitate someone’s voice, usually to be funny, usually as

entertainment There are many famous comedians who imitate other famous people in order to make a joke about those people Some people are very good

at imitating, or sounding like, another person – that is, some people are very good at doing impressions

Kay thinks, however, that she and Edison should shut or close the door so that, presumably, their boss doesn’t hear them making fun of her Edison, however, says, “Oh, I’m not worried about Justine hearing me She’s my boss but she’s not the boss of me.” This is an interesting phrase “Not the boss (boss) of me” is used to assert your independence, to say to someone that that person doesn’t

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have authority over you A “boss” is a person who is a manager, who is in charge

of you at your workplace

The expression “not the boss of me,” however, can be used in pretty much any context where one person is trying to tell another person what to do, as if the person had authority You might say to your brother, “You’re not the boss of me”

if your brother tells you how to act or behave For some reason, Edison

recognizes that Justine is his boss, but says that she’s not the boss of him,

perhaps meaning that he can make his own decisions even though she is the boss

Kay says, “What would she,” meaning Justine, “say if she saw you imitating the way she walks and the gestures she makes?” Doing impressions is usually

related to imitating, or copying, someone’s voice, but you may also copy a

person’s gestures “Gestures” (gestures) are the movements that you make with your body, especially your hands

Edison says, “We all know what they say: Imitation is the highest form of flattery Right?” There’s an old expression: “Imitation is the highest” – or best – “form of flattery” (flattery) The “form of” something is a kind of something, a type of

something “Flattery” is when you tell another person how good they are in order

to make them feel good, but often in order for the person to do you a favor or to get the person to do you a favor

The expression “imitation is the highest form of flattery” – or “the best form of flattery” – refers to the idea that if you copy someone else, you’re not doing it because you want to steal something from him or her; you’re doing it almost as a compliment to that person, to say, “See, you’ve done such a great job, I’m going

to do the same thing.” And in doing that, I am praising you in a way I am telling you how good you are at what you did Of course, if you are doing impressions of another person in order to make fun of that person, it is very unlikely that person will consider what you are doing “flattery.”

But back to our story Kay says, “I’m not sure Justine would see it that way.” She doesn’t think that Justine would agree with Edison that this is a form of flattery Kay says, “It sounds more like mockery to me I think it’s all in the tone.”

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Kay is saying that Edison’s imitations and impressions are going to be interpreted

by Justine as a mockery She says, “I think it’s all in the tone” (tone) The “tone,” when referring to your voice, refers to the qualities of the voice, including whether it’s high-pitched or low-pitched, whether there is warmth, whether there is

strength It’s the particular way in which your voice sounds when you are saying something

We all know that you can say something to someone that would make the person mad or happy depending on the tone For example, if you said to your girlfriend,

“Oh, you’re crazy,” you say it in such a way that you’re kidding or joking and your girlfriend knows it But if you say to your girlfriend, “You’re crazy,” your girlfriend will probably have a different reaction because you’re using a different tone in your voice

Edison says, “It’s a simple parody of how she normally addresses the staff.” A

“parody” (parody) is an imitation of a person, but usually involves some sort of exaggeration in order to be funny Normally, we think of this word “parody” as it relates to some performance on a television show or in a movie where they’re making fun of something in a way that exaggerates it

So, for example, if a politician normally scratches his head when he talks, a parody of that perhaps would be a comedian who stands up and takes both hands and moves them up and down on the sides of his head in order to make fun of this politician The comedian is exaggerating it He’s trying to imitate the person in a way that would be funny Parody doesn’t involve just physical actions – it can also be the language you use

Edison says his impressions of Justine are “a simple parody,” or exaggeration for comic effect, “of how she normally addresses,” or talks to, “the staff” – the people who work at the company “It’s all done in good fun It’s not mean-spirited,” he says “To do something in good fun” is to do something funny without being mean, without trying to hurt someone The opposite of “in good fun” would be, in fact, “mean-spirited.” Something that is “mean-spirited” is something that is

unkind or cruel, something that is funny but also not very nice

Kay says, “Of course not,” meaning of course you’re not doing this in a mean-spirited kind of way, “but she might take it the wrong way.” “To take something the wrong way” is to understand something in the wrong way, especially in a way that makes you feel offended or angry It means “to misinterpret” something, to take something the wrong way

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If someone says to you, “Wow, what happened to all of your hair?” Well, you might take that the wrong way You might think the person is making fun of you because you are bald I’m not sure what the right way to take that would be, however Maybe there are some things you say that can only be taken one way,

no matter how the person says it

Anyway, Edison says that Justine “needs to learn to laugh at herself.” “To laugh

at yourself” means to find things that you do funny, especially mistakes that you make

Edison says, “It’s healthy for the ego.” Your “ego” (ego) is your sense of self-confidence, self-respect, how you believe yourself to be as a person Kay says,

“Whatever you say, boss You’re always right, boss.” That’s Kay imitating

someone Edison says, “Who was that supposed to be?” Kay says, “Remember what you said about imitation being the highest form of flattery?”

Kay is obviously trying to imitate Edison and show him that sometimes doing impressions of other people are not funny and they don’t take them to be funny They don’t take them as a form of flattery Edison says, “That was supposed to

be me? Me?!” He doesn’t think that Kay’s impression is very funny Of course, Kay is trying to show him that making fun of other people by doing impressions of them can often be considered mean-spirited, even if you think it’s all in good fun Now let’s listen to the dialogue, this time at a normal speed

[start of dialogue]

Edison: [in a high-pitched woman’s voice] “I’m paying you less and working you harder What are you complaining about?”

Kay: Ha, ha You sound just like Justine! You really have a gift for doing

impressions, but maybe we should shut the door

Edison: Oh I’m not worried about Justine hearing me She’s my boss, but she’s not the boss of me

Kay: What would she say if she saw you imitating the way she walks and the

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Kay: I’m not sure Justine would see it that way It sounds more like mockery to

me I think it’s all in the tone

Edison: It’s a simple parody of how she normally addresses the staff It’s all done

in good fun It’s not mean-spirited

Kay: Of course not, but she might take it the wrong way

Edison: Then she would need to learn to laugh at herself It’s healthy for the ego Kay: “Whatever you say, boss You’re always right, boss.”

Edison: Who was that supposed to be?

Kay: Remember what you said about imitation being be the highest form of flattery

Edison: That was supposed to be me? Me?!

[end of dialogue]

I have nothing to complain of when it comes to our wonderful scripts written by our wonderful scriptwriter, Dr Lucy Tse Thank you, Lucy

From Los Angeles, California, I’m Jeff McQuillan Thank you for listening Come back and listen to us again right here on ESL Podcast

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